During the fieldwork, coralliths were found in a number of locations where coral reefs would not normally be able to settle and survive.

The findings could mean that coralliths could be used to conserve coral reefs in habitats that are at risk.

“This discovery makes us question many things we have taken for granted in coral ecology, such as how some reefs formed in the first place, and whether coralliths may play a role in reef restoration following disasters,” says Dr Heidi Burdett of Heriot-Watt University.